Cinco de Mayo is usually celebrated with tacos, drinks and friends. But with physical distancing in place, virtual events are now the new norm so Taco Madness hosted by L.A. Taco is bringing the food and fun through social media this weekend. The two-day virtual event—normally taking place in Los Angeles—kicks off Saturday at 5 p.m. and will feature live food demonstrations, a DJ, live art, michelada and tequila toasts, as well as L.A.-based taco eateries. Guests can check out the Instagram event on the L.A. Taco and I Love Micheladas accounts as well as those of participating brands.
Food is the star of any live event and that’s why the organizers partnered with popular brands for Cinco de Mayo including I Love Micheladas, Tecate, El Tesoro, and Hornitos to encourage guests to purchase their products to enjoy at home like they would at the actual event. It’s also in support of local businesses with an official list of taco vendors that guests can order delivery or take-out from including some of the City of Angel’s most beloved and famous taquerias including Guerrilla Tacos, King Taco, and Chicas Tacos.
Guests can also make their own tacos while watching live cooking demonstrations from pop-up taco stand Macheen and Todo Verde, a plant-based Mexican cuisine pop-up and catering business. On Saturday at 6:45 p.m. Macheen will be making Al Pastor pork belly tacos and on Sunday at 6 p.m.Todo Verde’s tacos de Flor de Jamaica is what’s on the menu, both recipes are on their website so participants can have all the ingredients readily available. WIth food and drink covered, they’ve also got some fun activities including live art sessions with Miguel Cervantes Jr. of Tacocidal doing drawings at the request of viewers and a cocktail break with a mixologist. There’s also merchandise from Latinx brands including Tacocidal Tendencies, Foos Gone Wild, and Viva La Bonita.
Throughout the event, DJ Fuego of the Metralleta de Oro Collective will keep the party going and guests can participate in the “Show us your miche” live contest. Taco Madness is not only in honor of Cinco de Mayo though, it’s also in support of No Us Without You, a fundraiser hosted by Va’La Hospitality to provide food for families of undocumented back of house staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the event is free, guests are encouraged to donate what they can since just $33 can feed a family of four for a week.
The full schedule and list of vendors are available on the L.A. Taco site and the hours are 5 to 11:30 p.m. on Saturday and 2 to 9 p.m. on Sunday, so go grab a Tecate, michelada mix and enjoy this weekend’s Taco Madness.